From Kousei to Kaori - With Love
by dreamykid99
Summary: Kaori is lost and Tsubaki has taken her place beside him. well... Has she? Can she ever take Kaori's place for Kousei? If she could, why does Kousei still play Rachmaninoff's Piano Arrangement of Kreisler's "Love's Sorrow" whenever he's on the piano? Kousei is a reknowned Pianist now, still why does he remain sad nowadays?
1. Chapter 1

"To Arima Kousei,

"It's weird writing a letter to someone who was just here with you. You're a terrible person; A dunce, a blockhead, an idiot.

"I first saw you perform you when I was five. It was at a recital at a piano school I was attending at the time.

"I remember a kid that bumped into the stool with his butt, got a couple of laughs, and looked at the piano that was too big for him. The moment he played his first note, I became enthralled with him. The sounds were as colourful as a 24-colour pallete, and the melody danced across the canvas. I was surprised when the girl next to me started crying. And to think you stopped playing the piano. Especially after moving someone like that? You're terrible.

"You're the worst. You blockhead, you idiot! When I found out we're going to the same Middle school, I was overjoyed. I wondered, how to best approach you? May be a casual encounter at the school shop during lunch? But all I was doing was watching you from afar. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI mean, you guys were happy, just the way you were. There wasn't any space for me.

"I had an operation as a child, so I had to periodically go back for check-ups. I collapsed in first year of my middle school, and found myself hospitalized again. I knew my body was frail and weak. One day I saw my Father and Mother crying in the waiting room. That's when I knew my time was limited.

"That's when I started running. To make sure I had no regrets before leaving, I did what I wanted to. Wear those contact lenses that I was always afraid of, eating cake without worrying about my weight, ignoring the rules of the score and playing music how I wanted to play it; and I also told a single lie. That Miyazono Kaori was in love with Watari Ryouta. And that lie brought you to me.

"Apologize to Watari for me. Well, if it's Watari, he might forget about me pretty quick. As a friend, he is great, but I took a fancy in more straightforward, earnest people. And apologize to Tsubaki for me. I didn't want to make her feel conflicted or awkward at all. Though, asking her to just straight up introduce me to you probably wouldn't have worked; because Tsubaki was in love with you. Everyone knew… Well, everyone except you and Tsubaki herself.

"My lie had brought you before me, but you weren't what I was expecting. You were more boring, lonely, and opinionated than I pictured you. Your voice was lower and more manly than I thought. You were much more friendly person than I thought.

"When we jumped off the bridge together, it felt so cold and refreshing, didn't it?

"The moon from the music room looked like a meat bun you could reach out and eat.

"When we raced that train, I honestly thought we could make it.

"When we sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" underneath the night sky….. That was fun, wasn't it?

"There's something about hiding at school at night.

"Snow looks a lot like cherry blossom petals falling, doesn't it?

"I'm a musician and yet my heart is filled with emotions from beyond the stage….. It's strange that I can't forget the little things.

"How about you?

"I hope that I found a place in someone's heart.

"I hope that I found a place in your heart.

"I hope that you'll remember me, even just a little bit. I don't want to reset what we had. Don't forget about me. Promise? I'm so glad it was you! Did I reach you? I hope so, I truly hope so!

"Arima Kousei, I love you. I love you. I love you!

"I'm sorry I couldn't finish the canales.

"I am sorry for hitting you so much. I'm really sorry.

"THANK YOU …..!

"P.S – I am leaving my most precious collection. If you don't want to keep it, then don't. But I honestly want you to!

"Kousei Arima was reading Kaori's letter for perhaps for the 5000supth/sup time? It's been 4 years since that day when both of them lost each other. Kaori was dead, yet she was so alive inside Kousei. Kousei did all that she had wanted him to do. Yet, there was something that struck a chord at the back of his throat whenever anything reminded him of her.

As he finished reading, he looked at the warm winter sunlight that was flooding the room. While reading the letter itself, he had unconsciously opened the window to the end of the bedside wall. "Miyazono, you're just like this warm sunlight in a freezing winter day. Welcome in my life once again, thank you again. Good Morning." He murmured as he gently placed the letter frame on the bedside desk that had one more frame standing on it. This frame had a picture of three kids, one of which was a girl, and the others being boys. A small girl was standing before the camera with sparkling eyes, holding the hands of a boy of a similar age while behind them, a boy with nerdy black pair of glasses, a red bow-tie and a blue formal dress was walking by, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe girl was none other than the fidgety, beautiful, rambling, once-young Kaori Miyazono and the boy behind the pair was none other than Arima Kousei, now-legendary, once-mythical Pianist who has surprised the entire Piano world with his talent and improvising capabilities in the past 4 years with a sudden relapse and return after the sudden disappearance at the age of 6. Kousei has gone to numerous concerts to perform in the past 4 years, but the once face that he searches for in the crowd that comes to hear him, couldn't be found. Kaori was nowhere. "Of course she couldn't be found anymore, coz she's dead" that's what Kousei's mind tells him. But his heart? Well, it's a completely different story.

"I am at the door. Open the door please" the mechanical female voice of the calling-bell has been ringing for quite a time now, but Kousei was too lost in his thoughts to answer it.


	2. Chapter 2 : Kousei's Past, Part - 1

"KOUSEI! … ARIMA KOUSEI!" came a thundering female voice from the door. Moments later, the door opened with a gentle screech and then there was a loud thud which denoted that the door was slammed back. Then there were stomping footsteps heard on the ground-floor which passed through the drawing-room, then the small verandah and then the stairs. Finally, a girl was seen on the door-frame with a face flustered with anger. Kousei on the other hand, was too busy in thoughts, gazing blankly at the photo-frame on the bed-side table. The girl had brown boy-cut hair and big brown eyes. Her face was red with anger and she held a small envelope in her hand. She wore a grey shirt with a matching pair of short-skirt and knee-length stockings.

Kousei was still lost in the other world. He paid no heed to the female standing just 3-4 inches from his bed, angrily looking at him. The female had no other choice. She bent down towards the lost male on the bed and then suddenly shouted "KOUSEI!" with her mouth right next to his left ear. That seemed to do it! With one jolt, Kousei jumped up about three feet from his bed and landed on the ground straight on his nose! Instantly looking here and there and then noticed the female standing before him. As he was on the ground, he could see past the short-skirt that she wore. He could see the white underwear that she wore beneath her skirt! The female caught him glancing at her skirt from where he was and got a grip on what he was up to and the next thing that Kousei knew was that he was flying towards the wall. Just before his face slammed against the wall, there was a shout in the female voice "YOU PERVERT!" Kousei couldn't even get the time to react as he groaned "OUCHHHHH!" By then the female was beside Kousei in a flash. The eyes that were full of anger, were now full of care and guilt! She whispered "I'm sorry! Was that too hard Kousei?" Kousei in turn, looked at his glasses which were now shattered! "Tsubaki! You should understand better before reacting!" he said calmly as he tried to get back up, but his legs didn't help him at all. Suddenly some memories from a day 5 years ago came hunting him down. He hurried back up despite a bit hurt on his right knee. He then went hurriedly towards his bed where his mobile was, and picked it up. After feeding in the password, he swapped through the 'Picture' folder, his fingers stopped all of a sudden. He had completely forgotten about it all these past 4 years. There it was. The photograph that he had taken 5 years ago on the day when he had met the love of his life "Kaori Miyazono" under the tree full of cherry blossom petals and it was the same day when his colour-less life had finally started to change; finally started to take on the colour of love.

Tsubaki too was beside Kousei as she didn't understand what he was up to. Seeing the picture, her jaw tightened and her grip on the envelope tightened too. Somewhere deep down inside, she still felt defeated. It's been 3 years that she had proposed to Kousei. Kousei hadn't refused. He'd said a "Yes" with an adult smile but somewhere inside that smile, that mirage, Tsubaki could feel that he didn't wholeheartedly accepted her presence in his life. She could feel that Kaori had already taken her rightful place even while she wasn't around anymore. Tsubaki was with Kousei and she knew him more than anyone else. He used to be an open book for her before she had taken the initiative to introduce Kaori to him and another friend of the trio – 'Watari Ryouta!" After that, everything changed. All their lives intertwined and it knotted together into a vast emptiness. Tsubaki was in love with Kousei since…..like…..forever. But unexpectedly enough, the shy boy she knew, fell for the girl she introduced him to! Kousei was initially a born genius at playing the piano. He was a child prodigy who won the 'Saki Competition' in Japan at the age of 6. He was also the youngest one to do so. He was the genius who played with an orchestra at the age of 8.

Seeing his brilliance in the instrument when he was just 2 years old, his mother Saki and her friend Seto Hiroko had tried their level-best to help the genius in him to bloom into full glory. Hiroko was the one who had discovered the talent in him. And his mother Saki? She was ill, and she made him go through rigorous, all-day-long training to perfect the sound of the piano that was already perfect in his hand. At times even Hiroko would grow tired of Saki, but she stayed as undisturbed as the northern star of the sky. Saki pressured Kousei more and more to practice. Kousei, on the other hand liked to play the piano just because of the reason that his mother was happy whenever he played it. So he never grew tired of his mother's rebukes or her canes. He just wanted to see her happy. But one fine evening all of this changed drastically. Kousei had his first orchestra performance and everyone of the audience present in the TOWA HALL was enthralled by his performance. The board of director of the Osaka Music conference had handed him over a certificate of admission to their music university. Kousei was so very happy after the performance that he straightaway ran from the stage itself to his mother to show her the admission certificate. But what had happened, was something he could least expect…..


	3. The Dormant Past

Saki, his own mother, had slapped him tight, right in front of so big an audience. Kousei had expected her to be happy just like him, but at that moment it had seemed a dream miles away. The slap had brought him on the ground. He was thrown back. Even Hiroko hadn't expected such an expressional outburst. She had retorted, whispering "What are you doing Saki? You know he deserves a lot better than this, don't you?"

Saki, his mother, hadn't paid any attention to her words. All her attention was on the eight year old boy lying back on the floor by the impact of her hit. " ** _YOU CALL THAT A PERFORMANCE? THAT WAS A FAILURE! AN ABSOLUTE FAILURE! IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVEN'T LEARNT A SINGLE THING_**!" she was practically shouting in front of the audience itself. Hiroko was trying her best to calm her down, because she knew Saki couldn't take much excitement because of her illness, but Saki couldn't be controlled. She kept shouting " _ **THE NOTES WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE, YOU WERE STAGGERING WITH THE TEMPO! I DARE NOT SEE YOU WITH ANYTHING BUT THE PIANO FROM NOW ON! BACK YOU GO!**_ "

That was it for Kousei. He couldn't keep himself calm anymore. He was sobbing, and his glasses were lying shattered on the floor, but there was a fire seen in the eyes of the eight year old boy. For the first time in his life, he had stood up, and looked right back at his mother in her eyes and with the teary eyes he had said "Mother, all that I have ever wished, is you getting better. I started playing the Piano because of it. But now, seeing you today, I wonder **WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE**?" Saying this, he had run out of the TOWA HALL while the hall-full of audience looked with awe at the drama.

Saki's eyes weren't dry either; she looked at Hiroko beside her, who brought Kousei's glasses back to her. "He was extraordinary today Saki and both of us knows it, isn't it?" Hiroko had asked as she was handing Saki Kousei's glasses. Saki had said nothing she silently straddled out of the large hall on her wheelchair. Hiroko had followed her out of the hall. And there she saw Saki, back in the ground floor, by the side of the lift door. She was crying. Hiroko had run to her. Saki looked at her with her eyes filled with tears. Hiroko had thought up rough words to blurt out to Saki when she would meet her, but all those rough words were washed clean by her tears. "You shouldn't have been so harsh on Him Saki! We both know why you're doing all this! Both of us know why you're so rude to him, but there should be a limit, isn't it? He's doing all he can. What more can you expect from a small kid of eight years age?" Hiroko had said with a calm voice, in the act of caressing an angry person!

But the result was quite unexpected. Saki had broken down even more. She covered her face in the palm of her hands, and she cried even more. "I know I am the worst mother in the world who's too rude to her own kid just so that he can take care of himself when I'm not around. I know that. But believe me Saki, I honestly love Kousei. I don't want him to suffer on his own when I won't be around. You know about me, don't you? I don't have much time left. If there's anything that I want the most before leaving, it's to ensure that Kousei can be on his own after I'm gone. He's too frail and weak and is too prone to cold. What if he catches a cold? I'll have to make sure that he knows what he's doing. He can't help himself out at so young age. Piano is his only way out. I know I am a lot harsh than I should be, but I can do nothing except force him to play the notes accurate as a computer. That's the technique I can entrust him with; that how I can help him for now. He need not learn to play from the heart for now. Time will teach him to play that. And if this technique survives within him, which I'm sure will, I can be sure that he will make something out with Piano in his life. He won't have to suffer like I did Hiroko. I can't be a good mother and help him now. I need to be the worst mother to make sure that I can help him and I can't do this alone Saki. Promise me that you'll look over Kousei after I am gone. Promise me that you'll take care of him. And tell him sorry on my behalf. Do me this one favour and don't let Kousei be alone ever. Hiroko, I couldn't look over my treasure the way a mother should, but please make sure that you do. Make sure that you don't do the same mistake as me." She had said sobbing.

Saki had died after three days of this incident. The same night Kousei had a competition to play on. Kousei didn't seem to have even a little remorse for his mother, Hiroko had observed. That had pained her inside her heart, but she had chosen to go with the flow. Kousei had dressed up and had left for the competition with Tsubaki as was the norm. Tsubaki and Watari were there for him even when he was so young.

Upon reaching the hall, Tsubaki and Watari had proceeded towards the audience seat while Kousei had moved to the green-room for the performers. Tsubaki was sad for Kousei's loss, so she was a bit reluctant to get to the front seat. She chose one quite some distance from the stage. And the concert had started then. Kousei was the last to perform.

…. Kousei was on the large stage. He was composed as an artist. So he didn't have even a bit of fear or excitement inside him. From the outer cover, it so seemed that his mother's death hadn't affected him at all, but inside, Kousei was burning! Kousei tried hard to control his inner burning feeling, as he had put his fingers on the piano keys soft as a feather.

With one last breath, he had started his Chopin Op. 25 No.5E minor. But unlike always, he could feel his hand trembling, and out of the blue, the kid on so big a stage, had lost his perseverance of the sound that he was producing by his own hands. It was the first such experience of his life. He could hear whispers, He could hear his own breath, but the sound of the piano was lost from his ears. For the first time in his life, he had stopped playing midway right in front of so big an audience and at so prestigious competition: The Maihou Competition.

He had ran back, through the stage, with his hands on his ears and his eyes closed, sobbing, right through the large crowd and into his house. He had run all the way back. On his way, Kousei didn't miss even a single a sound. He could hear the cry of people, he could hear the sound and the loud horns of the vehicles, he could hear everything, but he couldn't hear the sound of his own piano. Upon returning home, he had went under his bed in fear of the unknown, and stayed there, with his hands covering his ears.

Seto Hiroko had received the news quite later than she'd expected. After Tsubaki was the one who ran to her house to give her the news. She had run with the small girl, bare-footed as she was, to Arima's house. The news was unexpected, but the scene that she saw, was yet more shocking as well.

The small kid of 8 years of age was trembling beneath his bed and sobbing profusely. He was completely broke. He knew not what had happened to him, but he was afraid. As he had seen Hiroko, he had clung to her breast and said "Save me please! I can't hear my own notes!" with eyes full of tears.

It had pained Hiroko to see Saki's son suffering due to her. After all, it was Hiroko who had proposed for Kousei to be made a Pianist.

To help ease him more, Hiroko had decided not to ever visit their house again. She even locked her own house that day itself and went abroad so that she might not see Kousei suffer before her eyes. She felt guilty because she couldn't take care of Kousei as Saki had made her promise.

Guys, I need reviews on my story. If you kindly have the time to read my story, please do give your review on it too. Without your review I am unaware of how it's turning out to be. I am humbly requesting you to post a review.

And Thanks **MeridianPine** for your review.!


	4. The First Meeting

After Seto Hiroko's house shift, Kousei had completely stopped playing the Piano, and he didn't even talk about it anymore. Tsubaki and Watari had tried their level-best to bring him back, but Kousei never returned and this went on for another 6 years.

Kousei's past: Time lapse to 6 years after Seto Hiroko had gone away. (Still a bit far from the present)

…………… Now Kousei is a 14 years old teenager who is totally detached from Music. Tsubaki and Watari are still his friends. They still go to the same high-school together. Tsubaki still takes care of Kousei just like a sister. Whenever Kousei is in need, Tsubaki is always there to help him. But there's one thing that pains Tsubaki the most. The Piano that lied in a close, dark room in Kousei's house looked absolutely pathetic. It pained Tsubaki to think how desperate Kousei might be, to be able to resist himself from doing the one thing that he loved the most: Playing the Piano! Tsubaki had tried to talk to him about the subject, but Kousei had completely avoided it.

This was going on well. Tsubaki, Watari and Kousei were happy together. It was characteristic of Watari to run after girls. He was always busy running after beauties of the high-school while Tsubaki was busy curbing him off. Kousei, on the other hand, was very calm and quiet now.

The Tuesday of the third week of high-school: 6th April. Kousei will forever remember that date in his life. That's the day when he had met her for the first time: The love of his life Kaori Miyazono!

On the day before i.e. Monday, one of Tsubaki's friends had told her to introduce Watari to her. It seemed that she was interested in Watari. Tsubaki was busy at Watari's home, and so she had called on Kousei to let him know that she might be late to school and Kousei mustn't wait for her.

That was the first time Kousei had been alone to school. The straight road to the high-school took twists and turns, one of which led him to a park just beside the TOWA HALL. He was dragged by a sweet melody of a Melodica. On searching for the source, he had found out that a beautiful girl with large eyes was playing the melodica along with a group of three children. That damn morning was so beautiful! The soft sunlight on the dark hairs of the damsel was so enchantingly amazing that for the first time in his life, Kousei could be gazing at something for so long other than a piano and that too without being bored! The melodica she played was sweet in tune too. Kousei had thought about taking a picture of the group to have a cherishing memory. So he had taken out his phone and was looking for a suitable moment to click a picture, looking at them on his screen when it happened…..

The first breeze of the spring had kicked in suddenly, blowing up the knee-length skirt that the damsel was wearing! Kousei could almost swear that he had seen her undergarments. Almost out of reflex, he had tapped on the shutter button of his phone and there it was! The picture of the era! The damsel was busy adjusting her skirt when she realized what had happened. She had instantly lunged for Kousei with the Melodica in her hands, using it as a club to strike him down, all the while saying that Kousei had ruined her chances of marriage. Kousei was busy saving himself from the vicious strokes of this she-demon he saw before himself when he heard Tsubaki call someone from behind the stranger girl. Kousei had heard Tsubaki aright. She had shouted "Kao-Chan!" There was no mistake in it.

What followed took Kousei further surprised. The demonic facial expression of the stranger girl changed to angelic within moments as she turned around shouting "Tsubaki-Chan!" Kousei was still pinned down below her and she still held him down with the melodica on his chest with both her hands. Yet her face, that was so viciously demonic some moments before, looked so beautiful that Kousei couldn't take his eyes off her. By then she had lunged towards Tsubaki. Kousei could see that Tsubaki wasn't alone either. Watari was there with her. This new girl 'Kao-Chan' had bowed down before Tsubaki with the morning wish "Ohio Tsubaki-Chan!"

By now, Kousei had pulled himself up from the ground and was busy in rubbing off the dirt off from his clothes and his glasses. Tsubaki walked towards Kousei and helped him in doing so while Kousei was a bit surprised to see the new stranger girl talk to Watari so freely. Just then Tsubaki held his wrist and talked in a slightly higher tone "Kao-Chan, I don't think that it matters, but this is Friend-A Arima Kousei and Kousei, this is Miyazono Kaori." The stranger girl was too busy talking to Watari and didn't give it a second thought and she had just waved her hand unmindfully showing that she had listened to Tsubaki. Tsubaki, in turn had nudged Kousei in his ribs with a grin, whispering is a voice which none but him can hear "What's the matter Kousei? Were you trying to beat Ryouta by meeting her before him?" Kousei was seriously angry now and he had whispered back "Its not like that at all! The matter is……." But it didn't seem like Tsubaki didn't hear him and she continued "It won't work Kousei! She likes Watari. You're just a Friend-A to her. That's all!" Kousei nonchalantly tried to look away from the newly accustomed girl, but something inside him had prevented him from doing so. "Her personality blows! She leaves the worst impression……." Kousei's mind was shouting out loud, yet something inside of him whispered in a prominent voice "……….. but she is beautiful!" Kousei gazed and gazed at her without being able to move his eyes away from her. Tsubaki could read Kousei like an open book. So she was a bit surprised understanding that Kousei felt, for the first time up until now, something different about a girl!


End file.
